The Long Road Home
by The-Big-Wamp-Rat
Summary: It has been four years since Edward Elric vanished beyond the gate. Some have begun to forget, others have not. When Edward finally comes back, to what world will he come back to? A long road lies ahead... post-anime; pairings and rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All rights are reserved by the respected parties. All copyright laws will be respected. I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. All character ideas go to the respected parties. Please do not sue!

Author's note: This little story takes place four years after the anime. The whole incident with Shamballa never happened. The time line may change as the story develops as might character pairings. This is more of a work in progress, a pilot if you will. If you like the idea, please leave a review at the end. If I get enough positive feedback, I'll finish the story. Thanks!

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The Long Road Home

Part 1

The air was cold and dry beneath Central. The ruins of the city that had existed beforehand still lay buried and undisturbed. Even the old ballroom still stood, the damage still present from the catastrophic events that had taken place there four years prior. It's only inhabitant, a small lizard, emerged from a hole in the wall to perch on his favorite rock, perhaps to snag a few flies if at all possible.

The lizard glanced lazily around the old, decrepit ballroom. No one came down here at all anymore. No investigation teams, no clean-up crews, not even the blond girl and the young boy. The lizard missed them the most. All the others had been noisy and annoying, but the girl and boy were always quiet. There was a sense of peace about them, yet still a great sadness. The lizard knew they had both lost something, but to what that something was, it was beyond him. He was a lizard. What did he know of the troubles of humans?

The day progressed just as lazily as always for the lizard. A beam of light broke through the cracks in the old ballroom and hit the lizard's rock just right. He simply lay there basking in the warmth of the light. Then, out of the quietness of the ballroom, came a crackling noise. The lizard raised his head and listened, attempting to determine the origin of the noise. There was no one there except for himself: no investigators, no crews, no girl and boy, just him and the noise. At first he tried to ignore it, but the noise grew louder. Where was it coming from? As if to answer the lizard's one thought, a purple spark ignited in thin air in the center of the ballroom about six feet above the ground. The spark just floated there for a moment and did nothing. The lizard considered investigating… or returning to the safety of his hole. Suddenly, the spark exploded, sending the lizard fling off his rock and scattering any debris left in the area. When the lizard gazed back at the spark, it was gone. Yet in its place hovered a massive gate, the likes of which the lizard had never seen. It was a massive, foreboding thing with a great eye at the center. Slowly, the gate swung open. What came out of it surprised the lizard even more.

A naked boy with ragged blond hair fell out of the gate, hitting the wooden floor with a wet thud. The boy slowly rose off the ground, body visibly shaking. He was missing his entire right arm and his left leg just above the knee. The blood that ran from the wounds did not flow uncontrollably, but slowly as blood would run from a wound opened up many times. Many scars adorned his toned body including one on his right cheek, several on his back, and a big one on his chest. The boy began to rise, then suddenly doubled over, retching over the ballroom floor. "Ugh… Dammit. Suppose it makes sense… they would take the arm and leg again," the boy groaned. The lizard watched with utter fascination as the boy dragged himself over to the rock the lizard had perched on not a moment ago. "Man, Winry is going to be furious at me," he chuckled to himself. The boy gazed up at the ceiling, deep in thought over what he had done to get here and how much more he had to do. The lizard tilted his head quizzically as the boy drew something in the dust. With a flash of light, the stood. His wounds were bandaged, a cloak was draped over his back, and a wooden crutch supported him under his one good arm. "Well, no sense in sitting around moping. I've got to get going. I wonder where Mustang lives now?" The lizard scurried back over to his rock as the boy limped towards the long flight of stairs leading out of the ruins. The lizard was not sure why, but for some strange reason he felt good; incredibly good in fact. The lizard closed his eyes and smiled as he went back to basking in the sun. After four years, Edward Elric was back in Central.

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Well, that was the pilot! Short I know, but it could be continued if I get enough support! Anyways, leave a review if you got the time and I'll try to post the second installment. Don't worry it will be longer!

BWR


	2. Chapter 2

-1Disclaimer: I still do not own any FMA copyrights.

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The Long Road Home

Part 2

The market district of Central was always alive with activity at noon. Merchants of every type lined the streets with numerous items to sell: fresh produce, automail of every grade and design, fine silk imported from the sun city of Lior, and beautiful sculptures and pottery from the newly established Ishbal Province. Major Riza Hawkeye preferred the busy market to any other place in Central on her day off. It merely posed as a reminder for her that many good changes had come from the destruction of the old government including the New World Trade Act.

A vender selling Ishbalan jewelry caught the major's eye as she walked through the stands. The man was old and wore many scars obviously from a violent past, yet his face bore nothing but kindness for the young woman. "Miss! Please come look. You like the jewels before you?" the old Ishbalan asked, his red eyes warm and friendly. Riza Hawkeye examined the jewels carefully. She smiled at the in-depth cut of each gem. The craftsmanship was flawless and the jewels were real. Of all the venders in Central, the Ishbalans were always the most trustworthy. "Funny how history works. I never thought I'd see the day when an Ishbalan would give a member of the military a fair price on real gems," the major chuckled to herself.

The site of the barbed wire and guard towers roping off most of the Eastern prison sectors forced her to acknowledge the bad as well as the good of the new government. The fall of the Fuhrer and establishment of the new government had been met with some resentment. A large chunk of the military had split from the new government and relocated to the Northern Lands calling themselves "Loyalists". There had been a number of outbreaks along the Northern borders and assassination attempts had become a frequency. After all, now there was a whole congress of targets as opposed to just one. The prisons had become quite full… as had the graveyards for the executed.

Hawkeye sighed and continued about her business. No work today; today was her day off, her day to forget the troubles of military life. She made her way through the market, stopping here and there to complete her shopping. She examined some apples, collected an assortment of vegetables, bought a fresh loaf of bread, and purchased a fine roast hen for dinner that night. The major was so engrossed in her shopping, she failed to notice the dark figure approaching from behind, perfectly concealed by the large, bustling crowd. "Hello, Lieutenant," Hawkeye froze as the voice drifted to her ear, "it's been a while, hasn't it?" The voice was cold and unfamiliar. "That's major to you." The conversation was already turning hostile. The voice whistled, "Well look at you! You get a promotion and you think you have authority." Hawkeye didn't like this. This guy knew her before the fall of the Fuhrer. What else could he know?

"Who are you…?" she slowly began to turn but was stopped by a round object in her back. "Let's not draw too much attention to ourselves, shall we?" The voice was calm, in complete control. Riza's mind kicked into full gear. Her mood of ease and relaxation forgotten, Hawkeye listened to the voice behind her, attempting to catch anything that may give her the advantage.

"Take this next right down the alley."

The man's steps were accompanied by a slight clicking noise, wood on stone. The man was relying heavily on a crutch or cane. The clicks came from Hawkeye's left side meaning the cane was on that side. Therefore, the gun had to be in the right hand. _"I can use that," _Hawkeye thought.

"What do you want…"

"The one person I want to find in Central and the man's a damn ghost. I thought you would know where to find him."

"Who?"

"Mustang."

"_He's after Roy?! Is he another assassin? Are the 'loyalists' hitting our military personnel now?"_

"What do you want with the Lieutenant General?"

"_Lieutenant General?_ Since when did that man deserve a promotion?!"

For some reason, the man was seeming more and more familiar, but his identity still eluded her.

"The Lieutenant General is a great man far more deserving of a promotion than a coward like you!"

"Coward?!"

Major Hawkeye smiled. She had hit a nerve. That was her opening. Spinning low, a pistol slipped out of the right sleeve of her sweater. A second later, one clear shot rang out in the alleyway. The crutch under the man's left arm split in the middle. The man let out a small yelp of surprise as his weight gave out and he toppled to the side. Hawkeye kept her sights trained on the man's hooded head. "Now, toss your weapon to me slowly. Make any sudden movements, and I'll put three holes in your head. And off with the hood!" The major's tone was stern and intimidating… until the hood was removed. Then her aim faltered.

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Author's Note: Hooray! Second installment! Thanks for the feedback guys. It's nice to know the story is OK so far. This chapter is a bit different in the sense that it focuses a lot more on the events taking place on this side of the gate than the characters. I'm not sure if I like it... Anyways, did my best! Let me know what you think!

BWR


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